


Flashes & Bangs

by gaymingtrash



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, Friendship, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-16 08:11:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4617987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaymingtrash/pseuds/gaymingtrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hawke puts on a fireworks display, with unintended consequences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flashes & Bangs

Anders and the rest of the Kirkwall gang were standing in Hawke’s garden at her estate, largely confused as to why they’d been gathered there. Usually when the lot of them gathered it was at the Hanged Man – otherwise gatherings at the Hawke estate were smaller and more intimate.

“I have a surprise for you all,” Hawke said.

“A surprise?” Fenris asked, raising one eyebrow sceptically. Anders didn’t particularly like Fenris – views on mages aside, he was very much the type to look the gift horse in the mouth, and his constant moodiness lowered the tone for everybody around him.

“Yes, a surprise,” Hawke said. “A nice one,” she emphasised.

Merrill looked excited, but the rest of the group looked a mixture of confused and apprehensive. The last time Hawke had come to Anders with a ‘surprise’, it had turned out that she’d had an arrowhead embedded in her thigh for three days. Still, she wouldn’t summon the group for an arrowhead, so he kept his hopes up that it was something a little less septic.

The dwarf Javaris appeared from the house, carrying a bundle of what looked like parchment tubes, along with a fuse and a box of matches.

“I don’t like where this is going…” Aveline said.

“Lighten up,” Hawke said jovially. “Now everybody stand back, up against the wall.” Everyone did as they were told, with Anders moving to the back of the group, knowing that he was the tallest. He noticed that Fenris did the same.

Orana came out with a tray of champagne flutes and offered one to everyone. Anders had to decline – Justice didn’t let him drink anymore – but he was intrigued as to the added pomp of the occasion. What _was_ Hawke planning?

Having apparently finished laying out the tubes, Javaris faced the group. “Fireworks!” he said, proudly. “An invention of my own. It’s all set up to be a chain reaction, so as soon as I light this fuse they’ll all be off.”

“I _really_ don’t like where this is going,” Aveline reiterated, but she spoke too late – Javaris had already lit the fuse.

The first firework shot up into the air, and Anders appreciated the burst of light and colour that appeared in the night sky. Then, a split-second later, a deafening bang was heard, and a jolt of fear shot through him. He grasped behind him for the staff he usually had strapped to his back, but he’d left it behind in the Hawke estate. Heart pounding, magic fled to his fingertips, prepared for self-defence, but he realised moments later that the noise was Javaris’s fireworks exploding.

Everybody else was initially startled, but let out a laugh of relief when they realised they were safe. Anders did not have the same relief. He was on high-alert, even if he the others felt safe.

Hyper-aware, he also tuned into the tinkle of broken glass – Fenris had dropped his flute. He’d jumped when the first firework had gone off, and even from a few metres distance Anders could see that he was shaking hard.

The next burst of light appeared in the air, and prepared, Anders summoned a barrier to block out the noise. The tension dropped from his shoulders, and he took a deep, relaxing breath.

Out of the corner of his eye, Fenris flinched again. Feeling a rare pang of sympathy for the man, he turned and extended a hand towards him, the faintly shimmering banner stretching with it.

Fenris looked at him, and for a moment Anders wondered if he would somehow find a way to take offence at this as he did with everything else Anders did. But, as the third explosion hit the sky, he winced and nodded, and the barrier reached to envelop them both. Behind it, Fenris visible relaxed.

It made the fireworks even more enjoyable, now that they were silenced, with the lights reflecting off the barrier like sheen off a soap bubble.

Fenris offered Anders a grudging smile of gratitude, and he nodded back in acknowledgement. It was rare to see Fenris smile, but it was a nice feeling to know that it was directed towards him – for once.

From behind the barrier, they were able to appreciate the display, and clapped with everyone else when it was all over. Anders hadn’t known explosions could be so artful, and was thoroughly impressed. 

The fireworks ended, and everyone clapped and congratulated Hawke and Javaris on their work. It had been an experience, that was for sure.

**Author's Note:**

> So one of the symptoms of PTSD (which I headcanon that Anders & Fenris have) is an exaggerated startle reflex - which makes things like fireworks Super Unpleasant. This idea started off as a sad headcanon where Hawke tries to do a nice thing and it backfires, and then I remembered that Anders can do magic, and it turned into a happy Anders & Fenris friendship moment instead. Which is nicer.


End file.
